If I have the window in the shower, would I still be able to open it? I understand that it would have to be tempered glass but not familiar with other rules. I love this window - beautiful sunshine in the morning, view of the neighbour's gorgeous backyard and of course, fresh air.

Your current plan would work GREAT if you had a basement rec room or a above garage bonus room. If you don't, you will grow out of your house when your kids are school age/early teen years, IMHO. If you are planning to move to a bigger house when the kids are older, then this would not be a long term house for you so disregard what I say. liriodendron is also referring to the same issues that I am raising. I am writing it in a slightly different way... Since you do not have a basement, it is essential that you have a room where someone can go to be either noisy or quiet. It does not matter how it is used. Either way, you need a room which allows the person to be separated for noise, if needed. reasons: 1. One kid plays a musical instrument for school, where to practice? Where does the other kid do homework? where does the adult read the paper/book, watch the news? 2. Kids are playing on the Xbox (or the new thing yet to come).. where does the other kid/adult go? Are you and your wife willing to hear the endless noise while making dinner, doing the extra work that you brought home? I guess you can force your kid to wear the head phone or you go to your bedroom with the laptop... You can use the kids bedroom/adult bedroom for some of these functions. But it does not work that great if you make their bedrooms into communal rooms. For example, you can't really put the Xbox in a kid's bedroom. (many families do and you maybe one of those.) Since you do NOT have a basement, if this was my house, I would close off one of the rooms and get rid of one of the eating tables. The closed-off room with a door will be used as either a quite room or a noisy room, however way it works best for your family. At different phases of your life, it maybe used differently. Either way, you have the option of a room that has walls/door. Personally, I like enclosing the noise producing elements so that everyone else can have peace and quiet. Because of this, I would close off the media. In your current space, if someone is watching TV, then everyone else has to go to their bedrooms to be able to have a bit of quiet. Not everyone wants to watch the same show or play the same game. In your minds' eye, try to live in this house when your kids are 3(preschool), 10(school age), 15(teenager), 20(coming back and forth from college). You are designing your house first. Then the kitchen fits in that house.

Sorry, Cotton, I was gone most of the day yesterday, & I'm having rotten wood replaced on the house exterior today. Busy morning. I'm wondering about a more espresso colored "wood" tile? The one pictured is feeling too orangey to me. I think (just my opinion) that limiting colors with a look this clean & simple but elegant, is the way to go. I'd do a tile that is as close as possible to the vanity, then use light area rugs, maybe in your wall color, or white rugs with wonderful, luxurious texture. Elements on the floor in your cool metals, such as your trash can or towel stand, etc., will also provide contrast & interest. The way I envision it: Wall color, marble, espresso. Not wall color, espresso vanity, mahogany floor, marble. (Fwiw!) Too many different colors & elements will interrupt the flow, imo. (Others will surely differ on this!) This is a very restrained look you are creating. My take on it is to edit the superfluous.

The soap dispenser looks OK, but the shower curtain color is way off, it looks purplish in the photo. Look for a curtain that has a bit of the olive green color in it if you want a pattern, or just go with white or off white similar to your curtain. I like white because it allows more light into the shower area so I can see what I’m doing.